Hospital board trustee resigns

Joey Kanode announced his resignation on Thursday from the Crook County Medical Services (CCMSD) Board of Trustees and called for his fellow board members to do the same.

In his resignation letter, Kanode says, “It is with a heavy heart that I would like to announce my resignation from the Crook County Hospital Board of Trustees. I cannot and will not support the actions of the board.”

Kanode goes on to say in his letter that he believes “every board member should resign”.

“I believe this is the only way CCMSD has a chance to survive,” his letter continues. “I also think that the hospital should have its own board of professionals that run the hospital and elected officials to manage mill levy money; the current system is not working.”

Kanode’s resignation is effective immediately. He will not attend any future meetings of the board – at least, “not as a board member”, he says.

Kanode says he has made the decision to resign now, rather than wait for his term to expire, due to the lack of professionalism he has witnessed from certain trustees.

“Basically, I don’t want my name associated with the board. I act in a professional manner and I’m not getting down in the weeds with them,” he says.

Kanode feels that the board has not been treating its employees with respect, he says, and has not kept the needs of the long term residents at the forefront. These are among the reasons he feels there should be change to how the board is composed and the duties it performs, he explains.

“We have a pattern of behavior [and] a system that obviously will not work because it’s hard for people who are elected to understand,” he says.

Kanode’s announcement comes a week after an online job posting revealed that the board is seeking to replace CEO Nathan Hough, a move Kanode was vocal in opposition to. He says he still believes the board should limit its time spent in executive session and bring discussions on matters such as contract negotiations into the public eye.

“The executive session stuff needs to quit because I can tell you they are misusing it,” he says.

The board will be obligated to seek and appoint a replacement for Kanode, whose four-year term expires this year. The appointed trustee would then need to seek election in November, should they wish to continue that service.